Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Dems to name Armstrong replacement

The Knox County Democratic Party next week will nominate a candidate to replace long-time state Rep. Joe Armstrong on the November ballot.

Armstrong, who was found guilty of felony tax evasion on Monday, can no longer run for the House seat he's held for 28 years.

The party will meet at it's Morgan Street headquarters at 6 p.m.

Whoever gets the nod will face independent candidate Pete Drew.

As it stands, at least three folks are interested in the 15th District seat, including former interim Knoxville Mayor and current City Councilman Dan Brown; former City Council and school board candidate Rick Staples; and Joe's wife LeTonia, who is a lobbyist.

Things are getting a little interesting from what I understand some factions within that district's political community are starting to build.

On one hand you have Letonia and some folks just flat out don't want a dynasty. On the other hand, you've got Rick, who has already lost twice. So, there's the argument that maybe the voters don't want him holding office. And then there's Dan, who is definitely an all around good guy and was a very competent mayor, but a few folks have privately questioned whether he would be up for the frequent back-and-forth drive between Knoxville and Nashville.

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the glass is usually half empty

My name is Mike Donila and I'm a reporter with WBIR in Knoxville, TN. I cover government. All politics is local, and mostly ridiculous. Travis Fain of Lucid Idiocy said that. He's a smart guy. This is my blog. The content ranges.